Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File W. 21095, Aaron Fay, Mass

SERVICE
NUMBER
Mass
Fay, Aaron Abigail
W. 21095
CONTENTS

Connecticut. — 1417
Abigail Hay, widow of Aaron Hay, Deceased, who died on the 17 th January, 1801; of Windham in the State of Conn t . who was a private in the Comp y commanded by Captain J. Hay, of the ————— commanded by ————— in the Conn t . line for 8 mos. private.
Inscribed on the Roll of Connecticut, at the rate of 26 Dollars 66 Cents, per annum, to commence on the 4 th day of March, 1831.
Certificate of Pension issued the 20 th day of Sep- tember, 1837, and sent to Hon. J. D. Ingham, House of Rep s .
  Arrears to the 4 th of Sept 1837. =  $159:96    Semi-annual allowance ending 4 M. 1838 =  13:33     13:33     186:59  
{ Revolutionary Claim, Act July 4, 1836, Section the 3 }
Recorded by S. A. Elliott Clerk. Book A Vol. 2 Page 68.

THE NEW TESTAMENT
Of our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST,
Newly translated out of the
ORIGINAL GREEK;
And with the former
TRANSLATIONS
Diligently Compared and Revised.
By His MAJESTY's special Command.
Appointed to be Read in Churches.
EDINBURGH:
Printed by ALEXANDER KINCAID His Majesty's Printer. MDCCCLXI.

Benj a born Aug th 26 1766
Jeremiah born Oct th 26 1767
John Amos born June 15 1769
John born April 8 1771
Jerom born June 6 1773
Jerimiah born
Feb y 26 1782
Aaron
lock
say his bath is god give him grace there in Benjamin Jay died September the 26
Jeremiah Jay died Nov r 1776
Jerimiah How Died at 6
1783
Aaron born Aug th 27 1775
Abigail born Dec r 9 1786

Affiant of known
Gray -
[Faint, mirrored handwritten text, likely bleed-through from the reverse side of the page]

I Aaron Fay of Pownal in the County of Wind- ham and State of Connecticut. being duly engaged according to law before me say that I am the son of Aaron Fay and Abigail Fay his widow who has been making her declaration to obtain the benefit benefit of the provisions of an act of Congress - passed the 4 day of July A D 1836. that I have heard her declaration read and believe there is nothing - contained in the same but what is true; I was about 2 years old when the war of the revolution commenced and was not old enough to remember any thing about the first term of my Father's service. spoken of by my Mother in her declaration; but I have often heard my Father relate this whole story of his being out on the day of the attack made by the British at Lexington and many particulars that took place on that day and also his relations respecting the Battle at Bunker's hill, that he was in the engagement and that he was called upon to assist in taking care of the wounded and also many other parti- culars I find since mentioned in the history of that day's transaction. as to the second term of service mentioned by my Mother in her declaration I was old- enough to remember my Father's return home he had on his Military Coat Bottom on the seam of which the the number of the regiment to which he belonged: and I am confident the number was 18 still I may be mis- taken and so far as my Mother has given an account of officers I think agrees with what I had heard my Father relate.

The Deponent further says that he was the youngest Child of his said Father and Mother, who were since his his remembrance, they cohabited and lived together as husband & wife took until his death which place at the time and manner as related by his Mother and that they had other Children my Brothers & Sisters as recorded in the Bible. Some of them are now dead others have gone off from here, and I think there cannot be a doubt in the relation my Mother has given of her Marriage. My Father died a poor Man in the 56 year of his age although in low circumstances when my Father died I assisted him and my Mother in her support and my Mother was since his death and that she is now presently poor. Mr. Stone the Clergyman who married my Mother has been dead a great many years; I have often heard tell the age of her Marriage herself when she was married and the Clergymen's name that Married them. Whose name was Stone; there are no papers belonging to my Father to be found; they must have been lost, our family living on him have had great many movings about. I have always understood from my Father that he was regularly discharged when he came out of the service. My Mother has always been a widow ever since the death of my Father. He was the only husband that she ever had; and now at the very age she retains her mental faculties well her memory has always been remarkable.
Aaron Jay
and further the Deponent say not
State of Connecticut Windham County ss. I do hereby certify

the 12 th of 1837 Then personally appeared and made solemn oath to the the truth of the foregoing affidavit by him subscribed & further say that his character is fair in point of truth and veracity as well as in other respects which is good Certified by George Sharp Judge of the county court for Windham County
William Lloyd
rough

2511 Declaration of Abigail Gay - Pomfret Conn
2511
Abigail Gay widow of Aaron
married in 1766
rolls
Vol 14. p 93 - pri. 8 mo. No roll of Wm Winchester & term not set forth & sustain- ed as rules require
adm d
Sm. p m
26.66
No deduction
Ha S. D. Ingham
Not Rep

State of Connecticut Windham County Ss. August 12 th D 1837 On this 12 day of August one thousand eight hundred & thirty seven personally appeared before the undersigned as a Judge of the County Court for the County of Windham in the state of said a Court of Record, the widow Abigail Fay aged 91 year who being duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the of the provision made by the act of Congress passed July the 4 th D 1836. That she is the widow of Asahel Fay who was a soldier and a sergeant in the Army and Militia in the time of the revolution and who in the year 1775 entered into the service as one of the eighty Month men in the Militia line in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, myself and my said husband then living in the town of Southborough in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Worcester County about twenty miles from Boston and that on the 19 th day of April D 1775 very early in the morning I well remember he marched under the command of Capt. Josiah Fay for Lexington and I always understood him to get there on that day in season to be engaged in the conflict at that place on that day; and that he was in the battle of at Bunker's Hill, the Col. of the regiment and other officers under whom he served is now out of the power of my recol- lection, but that he was out the full term of his enlistment for eight months. I well remember because he did not return until sometime after thanksgiving of that year which would carry the time of his return to December after, but on what day I cannot say, but that I always under- stood that he was regularly discharged, he has been dead a good many years and all his papers are either lost or have been destroyed; During the war of the revolution he served another term of three months by being drafted for that time of service, but the day month or year I cannot say for

but to my best recollection the Capt under whom he served was William Winchester in the Regiment commanded by Col. Ward; he marched from Massachusetts to Long Island in the State of New York and whether he was there the whole of the term of service I cannot say but that he was gone the full term for which he was drafted I can remember, it was before the 18 th Regiment that S d Ward commanded my said husband was a Serjeant in one of the terms of service; I am very confident it was the first.
I further say that when the revolutionary war commenced we lived and resided in said Southborough and continued there till some time after the war was over and after that we came to Connecticut and lived partly much of the time in sd Yantic of Penfield in Windham County, and in still my place of residence since and that my said husband died on the 18 th day of January A D 1801 by means of an apoplectic fit of every sort I hope leaving me a poor Widow and no estate for he was only a poor laboring man, and had nothing else to support us, and that I have never married since his decease and now just labor myself; and have been for a long time supported by my youngest son who is in possession of small property and a family of his own to support. I was married to my said husband on the 18 th day of June A D 1756 in the 21 st year of my age and that I lived with him until his death excepting his missing absent the Clergeman that married us has been dead many years, nor do I know of any person living that saw us married. I must therefore rely upon the testimony that will, our Cohabitation —

and reputation in connection of my solemn obligation of the truth of the fact of our marriage adding the record of the birth of our Children which has been kept on a blank page of the family Bible; our marriage has never been recorded there in nor any where else that I can find; and that I have not remained a widow since the decease of my said husband will be accompanied by further proof as well as many other particular I swear to and subscribe on this her Abigail X Fay day and year above written } Mark
Before me
and the undersigned further testifies that the said Abigail X Fay by means of age and bodily infirmity is unable to attend Court and that I administered to her the oath on to the truth of the facts specified in her foregoing declaration at the house of her dwelling. and that she subscribed her Mark to the same in my presence
Attest George Sharpe Judge of the County Court for Windham County

State of Connecticut Windham County ss 3 Office of Clerk of County Court
I. Uriel Fuller, Clerk of the County Court for the County of Windham, do certify, that George Sharpe Esq., before whom the foregoing declara- tion was made, and sworn, is an associate Judge of the County Court for the County of Windham aforesaid, and that duly commis- sioned and sworn. And that the signature purporting to be his, is genuine.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed the seal of this Court - and sub- scribed my name this 15 th day of August Anno Domini 1837.
Uriel Fuller Clerk

Rev
WIDOW, &c.
!
File No. 21,095
Abigail Fay Widow of Aaron Fay Brn. Rev. War.
Act: July 4 1836
Index:—Vol. 21 , Page 228
[Arrangement of 1870.]

Deposition of Judge Ingalls

I have known the County of Windham and State of Connecticut being duly engaged ac- cording to law Depose and say that I well rem- ember Aaron Fay the husband of the Widow - Abigail Fay now a Resident in said Town of Pomfret That in the said Aaron Fay and his family came to Pomfret from Southborough in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as I always understood some years after the revolutionary war was ended; and that he died in said Pomfret many years ago that his wife is a Widow and has ever since his death been a Widow; and that always from the time I knew them they were considered husband and wife and as much so as any of our best inhabitants who have families of children which they have brought up and educated and there cannot be any more doubt of their being lawfully married than there can be of any fact - that we have not witnessed with our own eyes The Widow Abigail Fay the now now Widow of the said deceased Aaron; is a woman to be relied upon for her truth and veracity and would not utter a falsehood to obtain a Pension; I deem her to be a pious good woman and a member of the Christian Church to whom I belong she has always since I knew her been poor and I think no Widow is more deserving of the public bounty than her  Dated at Pomfret this 14 th day of August 1837
Leah S. Fay
Sworn to and subscribed
This 14 th day of August 1837 Before me and I further say the Dependant stands high in point of truth and veracity attest
Orville Simmons Justice of Peace

Pomfret Stoneville August 16, 1837
Hon. d Sir
The enclosed land Documents
belonging to the Widow Abigail Fay of this Town whose I believe are duly authenticated she is now Widow on the death of the grace and very poor and her connections are also poor; and I can assure you that there is no fraud or imposition practiced or attempted to be in this case; as to her execution She furnishes the best evidence the nature of her case will admit of. I cannot find that there were any records of Marriages kept in the County of Worcester at that time in which she lived at the time she was married nor can she find any person living that could her married She has therefore had to resort to the common law - evidence of Cohabitation and reputation which is good in all Courts except Military in law - Proceedings. I can say that she had so perfect an recol- lection of the time of her Marriage, that in the reading of her declaration to her drawn from the notation which she had given; a mistake in the day of the Month was made which she readily discovered and had corrected - Should there any thing further be necessary in her house, to produce you will have the good news to inform me Judge Dyer is about eighty years old is troubled with the Palsy but has always lived in this town and one of the Most respectable Men in the country
I am your affec. Servt John H. Brooks
I have Bolls in the Post Office addressed to her as required by the Juge

I John Hobbs of Pomfret in the County of Windham and State of Connecticut. I speak and say that I am well acquainted with the Widow Abigail Fay of said Pomfret who is now making an application for a pension and that she is the Widow of one Asa Fay who Died in this town more than thirty years since I well remember him and knew that he lived in said town a number of years before his death and that he and his said wife lived and cohabitated together as husband and wife, and remember very well his death But that I have no knowledge of the time of his death but should say that it is as long ago as stated in his widow's application; I also know that she has been a widow ever since; that she is poor and has always sustained one of the fairest characters for truth and an veracity, and moral charity been a mem- ber of the Congregational Church in this place for many years, and is a very pious old lady and would not knowingly utter a falsehood for any pension that might be given her; and I have no more doubt of her Marriage than I have of any person or persons that live in the town of Pomfret that have fetched & brought up families not having seen them married & would take upon myself to remark that she furnishes the best evidence the nature of the case admits under her

peculiar circumstances and the antiquity of the laws, and that cohabitation and reputation of - Marriage is sufficient evidence at common law in all cases except in criminal conversation and the case her proved by hundreds of persons if it was necessary; It will be proved by her and her sons declaration that she was - married some years before the war and that all her children were born before the war and continued married during the war and till long time after I can say that I am well acquainted with her son stress Fry and say that he sustains a good character as honest & upright man and have known him for about forty years
and for her benefit I hope there may not be any more delay than is necessary for a - proper examination she is now very feeble & infirm in her body and further the
Deponent saith not John Holbrook
The above Deposition was subscribed and sworn to on the day 12 th day of August
A 1839 Before me Orvin Sumner Justice Peace
and I further say the Deponent sustains a fair character for truth and veracity
attest
Orvin Sumner Justice Peace

Defension of - John H. Stockton
State of Connecticut } Windham County ss. } Office of Clerk of the County Court
I, Uriel Fuller, Clerk of the County Court for the County of Windham, do certify that Orson Sumner Esq., before whom the foregoing affidavits were sworn, was at that time, and now is, a Justice of the Peace for said Windham County duly commissioned and sworn - and that the signature purporting to be his, I believe to be genuine -
In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed the seal of this Court, and subscribed my name this 15 th day of August Anno Domini 1837 -
Uriel Fuller Clerk